JUDE BELLINGHAM will hope he has better days ahead after Real Madrid dumped him from their 2026 calendar.
It is a bizarre move by the Spanish giants and will set tongues wagging about the future of the 22-year-old midfielder, who was also overlooked by England boss Thomas Tuchel for the current international camp.
GettyReal Madrid have surprisingly left Jude Bellingham out of their 2026 calendar[/caption]
The England star was one of the big absences in the calendar
Bellingham was present in the 2025 edition and was Mr August
Bellingham featured prominently on the front cover of the 2025 Real Madrid calendar and took centre-stage as Mr August.
But next year’s £10.99 edition has no sign of him.
And there is also no room for Trent Alexander-Arnold, signed from Liverpool in the summer for £8.7million as his contract ran down.
Players to have got the nod ahead of the England pair on the front cover include Dean Huijsen, the £50million centre-back signing from Bournemouth, and 20-year-old Turkish starlet Arda Guler.
On the month-by-month pages inside, long-serving Dani Carvajal, 33, and 27-year-old Eder Militao are among those to get the nod.
Birmingham-born Bellingham has seen his guaranteed starting place for Real placed in jeopardy since returning from shoulder surgery last month.
And Three Lions manager Tuchel claimed that he “lacked rhythm” before omitting him from England’s squad for their matches against Wales last Thursday and Latvia on Tuesday.
Bellingham and Real were contacted for comment.
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The former Borussia Dortmund star has only started one game for Madrid since his return from injury in September.
Boss Xabi Alonso picked him for the shock 5-2 defeat to rivals Atletico Madrid but he’s come on as a sub in the next two games.
The Spaniard claimed before the Atletico game that he “needed” Bellingham in his team and was looking forward to having the player fully fit again.
He said: “I need his flexibility and versatility. Some players are more static, and Jude is not one of them.”
Bellingham was a surprise omission for England’s recent internationals but Tuchel claimed his lack of fitness at Madrid was a decisive factor.
The German said: “Jude is a very special player and for special players there can be special rules but for this camp, we thought to stick with our decision to stick with the same team.
“There is an extra layer in that he has not fully gathered rhythm and has not finished a full match until now and has only started one match.”
He insisted he was a big fan of Bellingham but needed to assess his other options in the event the player was unavailable in the future.
Tuchel added: “Do I believe we’re a stronger team with Jude? Yes. Is he one of the best players in the world in midfield? Yes.
“But what are we doing if a player like Jude is injured before the World Cup? Do we not travel?”
What happened to the Englishmen who joined Real Madrid?
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD has finally completed his move to Real Madrid joins an exclusive club to pull on the famous white jersey.
So how did those who came before him get on?
LAURIE CUNNINGHAM (1979-1984)
Real Madrid splashed out £950,000 to sign Cunningham from West Brom in 1979.
As one of the “Three Degrees” alongside Cyrille Regis and Brendon Batson, Cunningham had left an unforgettable mark at the Hawthorns.
The left winger became an instant hit in the Spanish capital, scoring twice on his debut.
Cunningham helped his side to the LaLiga title in 1980, and played in the European Cup final against Liverpool the following year.
Following a loan spell with Manchester United, Cunningham moved to Marseille in 1984.
Having played for Leicester, Charleroi and Wimbledon, Cunningham returned to Madrid with Rayo Vallecano in 1988.
The following year he tragically died in a car crash in the city aged just 33.
STEVE MCMANAMAN (1999-2003)
Like Alexander-Arnold is set to, McManaman left boyhood club Liverpool for the bright lights of Madrid in 1999.
A silky winger, McManaman proved to be a hit in Madrid.
The Bernabeu crowd immediately took to their new English hero, with his floppy hair and nonchalant flair.
McManaman helped Real win six trophies in four years, and scored his side’s second goal in their victorious 2000 Champions League final.
He went on to leave Madrid in 2003, spending the final two years of his career with Manchester City.
After hanging up his boots, McManaman worked as a pundit for Setanta Sports, BT Sport and ESPN.
Now 53, he can regularly be seen on TNT Sports’ football coverage, especially when Liverpool or Real Madrid are playing.
DAVID BECKHAM (2003-2007)
In 2003, Real Madrid made Manchester United superstar Beckham their latest Galactico.
Golden Balls joined a squad boasting the likes of Ronaldo, Raul, Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Carlos in the Spanish capital.
Despite his love for high-end fashion and the celebrity lifestyle, Beckham became much beloved in Spain for his incredible work rate, professionalism and of course, quality.
Despite boasting a star-studded squad, the fabled La Decima – a tenth Champions League triumph – eluded Real Madrid during his four-year stint.
He didn’t leave empty-handed, however, winning the LaLiga title in 2007 before leaving for LA Galaxy.
Since Beckham hung up his boots in 2013 he has continued to have several endorsement deals; including the likes of Adidas, Armani, Pepsi and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Beckham, 49, also owns MLS side Inter Miami, and played a big role in their groundbreaking deal for Lionel Messi in 2023.
MICHAEL OWEN (2004-2005)
Like McManaman before him, Owen quit Liverpool for Real Madrid.
But the former Ballon d’Or winner endured a frustrating season at the Bernabeu, finding himself stuck behind Ronaldo and Raul.
Twelve months on from Owen’s £8million switch, Real Madrid doubled their money by flogging him to Newcastle.
Owen then spent three years with Liverpool’s rivals Man Utd, before one final year at Stoke.
Immediately after hanging up his boots, Owen signed up to be BT Sport’s primary co-commentator upon the channel’s launch.
In addition to his punditry work, the former striker has enjoyed several other ventures.
Owen, 45, has his own clothing range with Peacocks, while he also appeared on The Masked Singer.
JONATHAN WOODGATE (2004-2007)
Woodgate endured one of the most infamous debuts of all time after switching Newcastle for Real Madrid in 2004.
The luckless defender went through injury hell following the £13.4m transfer, having to wait 17 months before playing his first game.
Just 25 minutes in, the England international headed into his own net. Things then got even worse when he was sent off just after the hour mark.
Woodgate played just 14 times that season, before a loan move to Middlesbrough effectively ended his Real Madrid career.
After signing permanently for Boro, Woody earned a move to Tottenham in January 2008. He won the League Cup barely a month later, and remains the last Spurs player to score a winning goal in a cup final.
Following spells with Stoke and back at Middlesbrough, Woodgate retired in 2016.
He has since gone into coaching, managing Boro and Bournemouth.
Woodgate, 45, returned to Middlesbrough once again in 2022, where he works as a first team coach under Michael Carrick.
JUDE BELLINGHAM (2023-present)
England superstar Bellingham sealed a blockbuster £115m transfer from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid in the summer of 2023.
The move has been a resounding success, with the midfielder immediately excelling in Spain.
Bellingham scored on his debut, and went on net five times in his first four LaLiga matches.
The image of the 21-year-old with his arms outstretched has quickly become an iconic one.
Birmingham’s finest has already won LaLiga and the Champions League during his young career.
And with Alexander-Arnold now alongside him, Bellingham will feel that he can add plenty more to his already impressive trophy tally.
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